You're Back
by mayrapatkitty
Summary: What if Hannah came back with regrets on turning Booth proposal down? Take place after 3 weeks after Nigel-Murray death. B&B always. (season 6 finale)
This one-shot takes place three weeks after the death of Nigel-Murray, and I'd like very much to have seen in the show Hannah appearing again, wanting another chance with Booth. And of course, see her reaction about how happy he is, even though she refused his proposal just two months ago (because we do know who Booth really loves and always loved, right?). Here is my shot! And I hope you enjoy! Oh, and take easy with me, please haha My first language is portuguese, aaaaaaand, I'll be very happy with constructive criticism :)

 **You're Back - One Shot**

Temperance was still getting used to the fact of waking up every day next to another person. She never had a real relationship: breakfast together, lunch together, dinner together... sleep together... She was an independent woman, and could handle very well all her emotional problems by herself, but a few months ago it started to change.

She didn't had the power anymore to hide her feelings as before. Right now, Angela could easily tell if she was sad, mad, nervous or even happy. What irritated and strangely made her comfortable too. She was never open to no one, because she never had no one who cared about her enough to understand her, and over the years, it became a habit. Angela, Cam, Hodgins, Sweets, her interns... _Booth_.

It's funny that thinking of his name now made her feel as if butterflies were floating in her stomach. Booth was the person she did absolutely everything a couple would do. Afternoons at a park with his son, nights at the bar, lunch, special dinner, and this BEFORE they have finally broken the dam between them and give their relationship a shot. Angela always had said that "they were a couple, but they not only had sex," and it made more and more sense to her.

If there is someone she trusted with her heart and soul, metaphorically, this person was Booth. However, the afraid to trust her heart to him existed, and without the empirical evidence that they would be together ever, was the reason why she had not given him a chance at the first time. She wanted proof. She wanted certainties. She wanted to hear that she _mattered_ to him. But what did she had heard?

 _"I'm_ _the_ _gambler. I_ _believe in give this a_ _chance_ _"_

WHAT?

Gambler their friendship? Their partnership? For what? And what if this not went right? And what if they had a fight? Each of them would run different pathways after that? And what if that bet entailed in never saw him anymore? She couldn't bet something like that, never. But she would like, oh, how she wanted that! He could have waited, right? Expect her to be ready for it? Wait for her to say "I don't want to gambler anything, but I want to try a romantic relationship with you", no one wins or loses. But what comes next?

 _"I have to move on_ _"_

The world just had stopped to her. No, she wasn't enough for him to wait. She said "no," and he moved on. He does. He returned with a girlfriend seven months later.

And her?

She spent the last seven months regretting that night of not having "gambled" with him. Because for her, "to gamble" with him was better than losing him. And even his constant presence after the return of all the squints, it was as if he's never there anymore. He was all the time with _her_ , and every day that passed through, she felt that they were losing themselves more and more. Because at that time she lived an internal conflict, Booth letting her aside because of his girlfriend and Booth saying "there is always someone you love more". If hell really existed, she believed that was where she was.

But what if heaven exist? It was the place she was _right now_.

The events of three weeks ago still bubblies in her head. She had an intern-less, and she had not associated the fact that she would never have the English intern babbling random information by the lab yet. Not only that, as her relationship with Booth had passed through all the limits imposed by him years ago. If before they were a couple who had not had sex, now they were a couple who really did it.

 _This_ change was for people, but for them? Everything has changed. To better, of course. She was happy, very happy. Something that frightened her, as if that weren't her right, and would soon be taken from her. But she was letting herself enjoy it, and the only reason was her confidence in the man who had left her lunch at her office.

Booth was full of paperwork to fill out and their lunch was harmed, and as she doesn't leave for lunch without company - since Angela wasn't working 'cause her due date getting close - he went to the Diner and left lunch for her. Booth would eat the moment he gets hungry, but he knew her very well, and knew she would spend hours working and forgot to eat. An excuse, of course, he might as well ask for any Diner's employee to leaves lunch for her, but _he_ wanted to deliver it.

Temperance caught herself making a silly smile in front of her computer screen, remembering his presence in her lab office hours before, he was in a hurry, but still came to bring her lunch and make sure that she "would not die in hunger". They talked briefly about dinner, making plans in which apartment that would happens, a quick kiss and he was gone.

Both of them didn't care about others knowing about them, since they suspected that everyone already knew. It was not something to worry about. Booth had assured her that the FBI always thought they were together, and that's why they had _Sweets_ , and now that they were a real thing, nothing would change. Everything remain the same. Everything.

The only thing that has really changed in these three weeks, was that she was no longer afraid to take on the love she felt for her partner. No longer. And she could not wait to finally finish her reports and go home. Or perhaps _their_ home?

This made her smile even more.

* * *

"Shit", Booth muttered when trying to open his apartment door. The lock has given problems a few days ago, and he always forgot to call a locksmith. Upon getting into his apartment, he quickly went to the kitchen to get everything ready so he could leave the lasagna roasting as he took a quick shower and then, wait for his favorite forensic anthropologist. When going to the living room toward his bedroom, he felt the presence of someone, and his sniper extinct was on alert. He could have felt it before if it wasn't his euphoria to come home soon and prepare everything for their special date night.

When turned toward the living room window, he almost jumped in surprise.

"Hannah?"

She must be lost in thought, because she didn't notice when he entered.

"Oh, hi, Seeley", she replied quietly, a bit nervous.

The first thing he thought in answering to her was "what you're doing here!?" and "for what?", but he was too busy thinking about other things instead of answering her. His almost-new girlfriend would come at any time, and his ex-girlfriend was in his living room. It was a few days Bones and him had a serious talk about past events. Booth felt light after admitting that Hannah was a failed attempt to move on, and, as much as he cared about her, he knew he was in love with the anthropologist, and all he wanted was to prove to everyone that he was happy, was to prove _to him_ that he was happy. But Booth was still feeling guilty conscience after discovering that if he had had more patience, Bones and him would have started their relationship sooner. There was crying, laughter, and facts were spoken. What was in the past was in the past, and more, all dark times was resolved. They were happy, they were together, and giving the chance they both waited. But everything was still new, and he didn't know what Bones would think if she got to see his ex in his apartment.

"Seeley?" Hannah pulled him out from his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, hi", he replied a little clumsy, but recovered himself, "What did you do here?", he tried to ask politely. It wasn't as if he still felt angry that she refused his proposal, in fact he was grateful. It was strange to talk to the woman he had shared his life with without feeling anything. He cared about her, yes, but he didn't miss her.

"You still leaves the key in that vessel…", she said, laughing a little and finally managed to look in his eyes. She felt a little more confident because she saw no anger in them, but she also couldn't tell what she saw.

"That's not what I'm asking, Hannah", he said a little impatiently. She noticed he getting fussy and decided to go straight to the point.

"How are you?", she asked turning around on the couch, approaching to him, "I... I missed you, and I wanted to talk to you about... about", she looked away quickly, and then she stared at him again, "about us, I... I don't know how to say this, Seeley, and your proposal? It caught me off guard", Booth noticed that she began to gabble, as she always did when she was nervous or embarrassed, and already knowing where this conversation would end up, he decided to cut her off.

"No need to say anything, Hannah-" but he was also cut off.

"NO!",she shouted, looking at the ground this time, "I don't want to have any regrets, but I don't want to get married too, not now, you understand?", she put her hand on his right arm that was touching the back of the couch.

"Hannah...", he began to feel uncomfortable, not knowing exactly what to say. He couldn't hurt her and just say, "you didn't do anything wrong, you do all very right, ohh, and by the way, the woman who had broken my heart, that one I told you about in Afghanistan, was my partner, and we are having our chance now", no, he couldn't throw it in her face. When he began to think about what would be his next sentence, the front door opened.

 _Perfect._

"Booth? Are you there?", he heard her voice ringing down the hall and her footsteps heading toward the kitchen. Before he thought or did something, Hannah was already heading toward his partner.

"Temperance! Oh, my!", she heard a familiar voice when she put her bag on the kitchen counter, and when she looked back, Hannah was already pulling her in a tight hug,"I missed you, woman", and she did. Hannah had many friends, she was a known woman because of her job, but real friends? They were few in her list, and she always considered the forensic anthropologist a real friend.

"Hannah", Temperance replied a little confused, but returned the hug, "It's good to see you", she looked at Booth, who seemed lost in the living room. He looked nervous, she noted, she could see his body language and was more than clear that he wasn't even a bit comfortable.

"I have a job in DC for a few weeks, and I took time to come and talk to Seeley," she said when getting away a little and looking quickly back towards him, with a smile, she turned again to look at her, "I was going to go to your office too, you know, girls's talk."

"Hm," was all she managed to say, looking at the front door, she gave mention to go there, but even before she take a step, Booth was already beside her.

"Bones, where are you going?", he asked nervously, afraid of what she would say. The intensity as they were looking at each other wasn't go unnoticed by Hannah, who pulled away from them a bit.

"I'm leaving you alone, clearly," she said as a matter of fact.

"Stay here", it was almost a plea. She looked at Hannah behind him and then to him, the answer in her eyes. Booth took both her hands in his, and whispered softly, "Go take a shower, I still have to make dinner, Hannah... she is going out soon", he said, and with the crooked smile he gave to reassure her, she couldn't help but return the smile.

"Are you sure?", she whispered.

"A hundred porcent," his answer had double meaning for her, and she further broadened her smile. Forgetting that they had company, Booth gave her a quick kiss, but passionate and then, let her go.

"All right," she replied to him, and then looked at Hannah, "It was great to see you again, Hannah, I'll leave you alone", saying this, she went straight to his bedroom.

When the bedroom door get closed, Booth noticed that Hannah was almost gaped. After several minutes he tried to speak.

"Hannah, I would…", but she cut him off.

"It was her, wasn't it?", she asked quietly.

"I'm sorry?", he was confused.

"The woman you mentioned when we met in Afghanistan, was she, wasn't it?"

The lack of response from him was all she needed.

"When you told me that Temperance had admitted you that she had regrets on not given you a chance, I thought that was an old story, very old, but I had no idea of the intensity of the story", she said, strangely calm, "but I never cared about your friendship, because I knew the kind of man you were, and you loved me, but I think I was wrong, right?", she asked, staring at him.

"I..." he tried to speak, but she cut him off again.

"You always loved her", she said simply.

"Hannah-"

"Say it, Seeley", she was getting annoyed now.

"I DON`T KNOW", he almost shouted. He stepped away from her and returned to the living room, threw himself on the couch with his hands on his face, looking lost.

"What don't y'know?", she asked, approaching the sofa arm near where he was sitting.

"I don't know when... when I started to love her, and when I just figured out, I tried... I tried... and then things happened, and then…"

"You met me", she finished for him.

"Yeah", he replied softly, running a hand through his hair while the other rested on his knee.

"It's older than I imagined", she finally said, sitting beside him on the couch. "I mean, the intensity rolling among you both, is very old," she looked into his eyes.

"Yeah", he admitted, this time looking at her.

"You were the first to admit it", she continued. He just nodded, and then she said, "and she didn't reciprocate."

"She was afraid," he replied, "I didn't wait for her, I was too hurt at the time and didn't see it", it was strange how he felt lighter now. This secret was to God and him, and now, Bones and Hannah knew the truth. It was like taking a truck out of him.

"We weren't going to get married", she smiled, she actually smiled, and Booth was beginning to find it scary, "You are a man of honor, but you're no stupid", when Booth looked down she continued, "We could even stay together for a while, but it would only last if Temperance stayed alone, but at one change, she's going away or she meeting another person, you and I... wouldn't work, you would try, but it would be me that would end all with you".

"Why?", he could not stand the curiosity.

"Because I wouldn't stand to see you unhappy", she said looking into his eyes. It was funny how it all fit now. Before, when he was going home with her, that times when they were at the bar having fun with their squint-friends… he didn't seem happy coming home with her, it seemed more a must. She didn't know what it was before, but now she understood why. It was with _her_ thathe wanted to come home with - a certain person whose nickname only he had the honor to call her. And when he met them at the Diner for lunch, he showed that her favorite smile, and his eyes sparkled with a genuine joy? She never cared to think that he just had that look and that smile when Temperance was beside her. She doesn't remember any time he looked at her that way without Temperance beside her. There were so many evidences, and she as a journalist, failed to realize them.

"You're a good person, Hannah", that's all he could say at the moment, "I'm sorry I hurt you", and he did, he felt as if he had used her, "None of this should have happened, no one should be hurt, and in the end...", there were three broken hearts, but only one would suffer from true now.

"Yeah", she replied.

The silence that seemed last hours broke when the bedroom door opened. Temperance appeared, she wore casual clothes, a basic purple blouse and jeans, the scent of her shampoo even meters away didn't go unnoticed by Booth, perhaps, because he was already addicted to the scent.

Booth quickly rose from the couch, followed by Hannah, who felt increasingly little in the apartment that was her home a months ago.

"Well, I think I'm going", Hannah grabbed the bag she had left on the chair next to the couch when she entered the apartment, "I have some work things to do today, it was great to see you, Temperance", she hugged her again, and then looked at Booth, "Goodbye, Seeley", she approached him, not knowing exactly what to do until he hugged her and said, "Take care, Hannah", the hug was a _real_ goodbye. She, then, let him go, looked back at Temperance, giving her a small smile, and headed to the door with Booth behind her. Before passing through the door, she looked at him again and with a shy smile said, "I'm happy for both of you," and then, turned her back on him and went away.

"Bye, Hannah!", Temperance replied before the door closed. When Booth turned back to her, he seemed shocked, or relieved, she didn't have sure.

"Are you okay, Booth?", she asked, approaching him.

"Best impossible", he barely answered and pulled her into a tight hug. With one hand firmly on her waist and the other dipping into her hair still wet, he said softly, "I love your smell."

"It's the smell of my shampoo", she laughed, but caught the intensity of his embrace.

"Not only that, it's you, it _always_ been you", he said before capturing her lips and kiss her gently, showing how _cared_ _, loved and needed_ she was to him.

"I love you, Booth", no matter how many times he heard that, whenever she said it seemed like the first time. He smirked at her as he pulled away a little to stare into her eyes. He couldn't imagine a man more happy than him.

"What?" She asked a little sheepishly to the intensity of his gaze.

"She also knows it's always been you", he suddenly said, "Actually, I just found out that she always suspected."

"How was the conversation?", she asked a little worried, "She hates me now?", this made Booth guffaw.

"You're impossible to hate, Bones", he chuckled and then his expression turned serious again, "She understood, and said she is happy for us."

"That's good, right?"

"Completely," he said and kissed her again. Minutes passed as she broke the kiss.

"Booth?"

"Uhu?" He said a little dizzy because of the kiss and her smell.

"How long until dinner?"

He laughed. Such a casual question could not become so perfect.


End file.
